MILWAUKEE -- Troubling public health news in the city of Milwaukee shows an increase in new cases of HIV and syphilis —including an infant in 2017. That’s why the Milwaukee Health Department launched a commute campaign with MCTS to raise awareness about sexually transmitted diseases.
"If someone is on a bus and they hear this message we'd like to hope that if it resonates with them, they take that next step," Brendan Conway said.
The message is a part of a new commuter ad campaign created to raise awareness about sexually transmitted diseases. Brendan Conway, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer for the transit system, anticipates the ad reaching thousands of commuters.
“This was a big push," Conway said.
"Some of the times of the day would each a lot of people like in the mid-morning commuters, the afternoon commuters my guess is this is going to reach tens of thousands of people," he continued.
In a tweet, the Milwaukee Health Department confirms:
“There has been an increase in new cases of HIV [and] syphilis” —including infants in 2017. A troubling truth Elizabeth Tatum, a Milwaukee mother said she finds devastating and she hopes the city does more to create awareness about the seriousness of STDs.
“Sex is a serious thing," Tatum said.
"And if you’re going to do something that serious you definitely need to protect yourself," she continued.
According to Conway, commuters will start hearing the ads play on buses Sunday.
